The First Israelites
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Roman Civilization Chapter 9 Objectives Be able to discuss the cultural achievements of the Romans and describe the daily lives of people in Rome. Explain why the Roman Empire fell and summarize its legacy in law, government, language, and the arts. Describe the rise and cultural accomplishments of the Byzantine Empire. Test Preview - Vocabulary anatomy Inflation Hagia Sophia Justinian Code Western Germanic Roman Empire tribes Vault Pantheon Visigoths Eastern Roman Empire Test Preview – Things to know What type of satires did the poet Horace write? What did the scientist Ptolemy do? How did Romans honor their gods and goddesses? What happened when the last Severan emperor died? What did Diocletian do when he took power? Test Preview – Things to know When did Rome fall? What happened to the Byzantine Empire as time went on? What did Justinian want to do? What happened to the Byzantine Empire from A.D. 500 to A.D. 1100? What did Byzantine writers do? Test Preview – Essays Whom did the Romans force into slavery? How were the slaves treated? Why did Rome’s power decline? Section 1 – Life in Ancient Rome The Romans learned from the Greeks but changed what they borrowed to suit their own needs. The lives of rich and poor Romans were very different. Life in Ancient Rome Romans admired and studied Greek statues, buildings, and ideas. They copied the Greeks but changed things to meet their own needs. The Romans copied the Greek-style statues for their homes. But where the Greek artists made the humans in their statues look perfect, the Roman statues were more realistic and showed less attractive features. The also used Greek ideas in their buildings but added features such as arches and domes. Romans came up with the idea of using a row of arches to create a vault. Life in Ancient Rome Romans were the first people to invent and use concrete, a mixture of volcanic ash, lime, and water. Romans buildings made with concrete still stand today. They include the Colosseum and the Pantheon, a temple built to honor Rome’s gods. The Pantheon’s domed roof was the largest of its time. Roman authors based much of their writing on Greek works. For example, Virgil drew some of his ideas from Homer’s Odyssey. One of Romans poets, Horace wrote satires. What is a satire? Works that poke fun at human weaknesses. Life in Ancient Rome Rome’s historians recorded events of their civilization. The most famous was Livy who wrote his History of Rome about 10 B.C. Like the Greeks, the Romans enjoyed plays. Roman plays were often based on Greek tragedies and comedies. The Roman language, Latin, had a big impact on future generations. Latin became Europe’s language for government, trade, and learning until about A.D. 1500. Latin became the basis of many modern European languages, such as Italian, French, and Spanish. Many of the English words that we use today come from Latin as well. Life in Ancient Rome The Greek doctor named Galen brought many medical ideas to Rome. For instance he emphasized the importance of anatomy. What is anatomy? The study of body structure. To learn about inner organs, Galen cut open dead animals and recorded his findings. Another important scientist was Ptolemy. He studied the sky and carefully mapped over 1,000 different stars. He also studied the motion of plants. However, he did incorrectly place the Earth at the center of the universe. Roman engineers built an elaborate system of roads and bridges. They also used advanced engineering to supply their cities with water through the use of aqueducts. Life in Ancient Rome Rome had become one of the largest cities in the ancient world with a population of over a million people. Rome had been carefully planned out as a square with the main roads crossing at right angles. At its center was the Forum. This was an open space that served as a marketplace and public square. Wealthy Romans lived in large, comfortable houses with a central courtyard called a atrium. The city of Rome was crowded, noisy, and dirty. People tossed garbage into the streets from their apartments. Most people in the city were poor. They lived in apartment buildings made of stone and wood. Many families had only one room. Apartment buildings often collapsed because of poor construction. Fire was a danger because people used torches and lamps for lighting and cooked with oil. Life in Ancient Rome To keep the people from rioting, the Roman government provided “bread and circus”. Romans of all classes flocked to chariot races or gladiator contests. Family life was important to the Romans. Their families were often large and included parents, young children, married children and their families, other relatives, and enslaved servants. The father, called the paterfamilias, was the head of the household. He had complete control over family members. He could chose who they would marry. Some paterfamilias made sure that his children were educated. Poor Romans could not afford to send their children to school. Wealthy Romans hired tutors to teach their young children at home. Older boys went to schools while older girls studied reading and writing at home. Life in Ancient Rome Between the ages of 14 and 16, a Roman boy celebrated becoming a man. He would burn is toys as an offering to the household gods. Then he would start wearing a toga. He might also join his families business, become a soldier, or begin a career in government. Roman women did not become adults until they married. A woman usually wear a long flowing robe with a cloak called a palla. Women had some rights but were not full citizens. Women did have some voice in their families. Wealthy women could own land, run business, and sell property. They could attend the theater but had to sit in a separate area from the men. Life in Ancient Rome Slavery was a part of Roman life from early times. The use of slave labor grew as the Romans took over more and more territory. Enslaved people had many different jobs. Many enslaved Greeks were well educated. They served as teachers, doctors, and artisans. For most enslaved people, life was miserable. To escaped their hardships, enslaved people often rebelled. In 73 B.C. as slave revolt broke out in Italy. It was led by a gladiator named Spartacus. Under Spartacus, a force of 70,000 enslaved people defeated several Roman armies. The revolt was finally crushed two years later. Spartacus and 6,000 of his followers were crucified. Life in Ancient Rome The ancient Romans worshiped many gods and goddesses. They also believed that spirits lived in natural things like trees and rivers. Romans gave many Greek gods and goddesses new names. For example, Zeus became Jupiter, and Aphrodite became Venus. Romans honored their gods and goddesses by praying and offering food. Every house had an alter for this purpose. As the empire grew, Romans came into contact with other religions. These other religions were allowed as long as they did not threaten the government. Life in Ancient Rome Greek and Roman Gods Greek God Roman God Role Ares Mars God of war Zeus Jupiter Chief god Hera Juno Wife of chief god Aphrodite Venus Goddess of love Artemis Diana Goddess of the hunt Athena Minerva Goddess of wisdom Hermes Mercury Messenger god Hades Pluto God of the underworld Poseidon Neptune God of the sea Hephaestus Vulcan God of fire Section 2 – the Fall of Rome Rome finally fell when Germanic invaders swept through the empire in the A.D. 400’s. Roman achievements in government, law, language, and the arts are still important today. the Fall of Rome In A.D. 180 Marcus Aurelius died. His son Commodus became emperor. Commodus was cruel and wasted money. In A.D. 192 the emperor’s bodyguard killed him. After Commodus was killed, a series of emperors called the Severans ruled Rome. They spent most of their time putting down revolts and attacks on Rome’s borders. When the last Severan ruler died in A.D. 235, Rome’s government became very weak. For the next 50 years the armies fought each other for control. Rome had 22 different emperors during this time. Poor leadership was coupled with growing problems of dishonest government officials and civil unrest. the Fall of Rome During the A.D. 200’s, Rome’s economy began to fail. As the government became weaker, law and order broke down. A plaque also spread that killed one out of every 10 people in the empire. Rome also suffered through a period of inflation when prices for food and other goods increase rapidly. The money people had used became useless and people began to barter instead. Barter is the exchange of goods without using money. Meanwhile invaders swept into the empire. In the west, Germanic tribes invaded Roman farms and towns. In the east, armies from Persia pushed into Rome’s territory. the Fall of Rome In A.D. 284 a general named Diocletian became emperor. He introduced reforms. Diocletian divided the empire into four parts and named officials to rule over those areas. He tried other reforms to help the economy. Diocletian’s reforms failed. When Diocletian retired in A.D. 305, another general named Constantine took over. He also introduced several reforms to help the economy. However, the empire continued to decline in the west. He decided to build a new capital in the east and built the city of Constantinople. Today Constantinople is called Istanbul.